This strawberry shortcake isn’t at all traditional because it leans more towards a strawberry cake-like texture rather than the usual biscuit with berries type dessert. The strawberries and batter get baked together into a tender rich cake studded with berries loaded with roasty flavor. Then it’s topped with fresh berries and homemade ice cream, (or whipped cream for a more traditional option).
I love the two toned strawberry flavor with the roasted strawberries in the cake and the fresh ones on top. And while whipped cream is a good option, I’ve always felt that ice cream makes every dessert better. I added the seeds of 1 vanilla bean to my Homemade Coconut Ice Cream, and it turned out to be a super combination.
For hulling strawberries, I like to use a tomato corer tool which makes short work of strawberries. Then depending on how big your berries are, cut them into 1/4″ or 1/8″ pieces.
The batter and berries get layered together in a cast iron skillet and baked into moist cakey goodness!
Have loads of strawberries around? Try my Fresh Strawberry Chia Jam!
Another little variation I discovered by accident is to mix together chunks of this shortcake with my Homemade Coconut Ice Cream, and freeze it until it’s firm again for a Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream.
I had so much shortcake topped with ice cream leftover after taking these pictures that I wasn’t sure what to do with it. So… I scooped it all into a container and froze it for later. It turned out so good, that I’m making it that way on purpose now!
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Strawberry Skillet Shortcake
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Shortcake:
- 1 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon almond extract
- 1 – 12 ounce container strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil
Toppings:
- 1 –12 ounce container of strawberries, hulled and quartered for topping
- 1 batch Homemade Coconut Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Mix together the cashew butter, maple syrup, eggs, baking powder, Vietnamese cinnamon, vanilla extract, and the almond extract in a medium sized bowl until smooth, and set aside.
- Heat a 9″ cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the butter or coconut oil to the pan to melt it. Remove the pan from the heat and add half of the quartered strawberries.
- Pour the batter over the strawberries in the pan, smoothing over the top to even it out, and top with the remaining quartered berries.
- Bake the shortcake for 20-25 minutes or until just done, but still moist in the center (remember the cake will continue to cook a bit in the cast iron pan after it’s removed from the oven).
- Serve immediately or at room temperature topped with the fresh berries and your choice of ice cream or whipped cream.
- The shortcake will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Where do you get cashew butter?
I like to order it by the case from any natural food coop for the best prices, but you can also get it from Natural Grocers/Whole Foods. Definitely stock up whenever you can find it on sale as nut butters are so pricey! I sure hope you enjoy the recipe, and I hope you’ll let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!
So I just made the shortcake………. Delicious!! I used Almond butter and it was a little heavy like you said, but great flavor. I didn’t have coconut milk, so I topped it with maple whipped cream. YUM! I’ll try cashew butter next time I make it. My next dessert is the apple pie skillet cake! can’t wait until next weekend to try! Love your recipes, I’m so glad I discovered your blog 🙂
PS: Your almond butter cookies are fantastic too!
Thanks so much Tara, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I think you’ll love the apple pie skillet cake, it’s one of my favorites for entertaining because it always gets rave reviews!
This looks amazing. I’ve never baked with cashew butter and am super eager to try it!
I hope you give it a try because cashew butter makes some really tasty treats! I also make my brownies with cashew butter and they’re my favorite brownie!
Hi! This looks great. What about almond butter instead of cashew?
You can definitely use almond butter instead of cashew butter, I’ve substituted them regularly. It does have a slightly heavier texture, and the flavor is much stronger than cashew, but since almond and strawberry are so good together, it shouldn’t be a problem! I hope you enjoy the recipe, and be sure to let me know how it goes or if you have anymore questions. 🙂
Gorgeous and delicious. Some food just has it all! I think you are responsible for the drool all over my keyboard. Strawberries are my to-go for dessert when I’m craving something sweet but just know chocolate is not the answer.
Strawberries are always my go-to as well, and sometimes I dip them in chocolate because it bridges the gap on all my sweet cravings without going too overboard!
Oh my goodness Kari this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it! Also i LOVE that you don’t use refined flours–good grain-free dessert recipes are so hard to find! Can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait:)
Good grain free desserts are so hard to find, that’s why it usually takes me a while to come up with one! 🙂